The Internet is a collection of disparate computer systems which use a common protocol to communicate with each other. A common use of the Internet is to access World Wide Web (web) pages. Web pages are typically stored on a server and remotely accessed by a client over the Internet using a web browser.
A web site is a collection of web pages. A web site includes typically a home page and a hierarchical order of follow on web pages that are accessible through the home page. The web pages are connected to each other using hypertext links. The links allow a user to browse web pages of a web site by selecting the links between the web pages. Distinct Web sites may be respectively identified by respective distinct associated Internet domain names.
To increase user visitations and revenue, web sites have become very sophisticated. Web sites typically include web pages that provide information to users, advertise products or services to users and/or provide site search functions for users. A problem for web site owners is to determine how successful the web site is, for example, whether the informational or other needs of users are met and whether the users are purchasing advertised goods and services.
Traditional marketing studies directed toward target market demographics are of limited effectiveness in gauging user satisfaction with web sites. Online methods of gathering information from visitors regarding web site satisfaction are intrusive and have not been well received. Moreover, such systems typically require extensive reprogramming of a web site, which is time consuming and costly.
Another problem is the limited ability to collect information from one Web page to another, across a Web site. Plug-ins and other programs requiring insulation are too intrusive while ActiveX and other controls that are based on COM objects are automatically unloaded from the operating environment when the visitor changes Web pages.